I. Field
The invention relates generally to communications systems, and more particularly to providing refined quality of service with respect to one or more traffic flows associated with a terminal.
II. Background
Communication networks, such as wireless communication networks, broadband networks, and any other suitable networks are utilized in connection with transferring data, wherein data can include word processing files, streaming video, multimedia files, voice data, and/or the like. Providing appropriate quality of service (QoS) to certain subscribers can be important for retaining customer satisfaction as well as optimizing resources associated with one or more network links. In wireless networks, however, providing appropriate QoS can be difficult, as QoS support must be considered in connection with units that are transitioning between different access nodes (e.g., base stations, access routers, or access points). Thus, providing appropriate QoS treatment to a wireless terminal is a nontrivial case.
In a typical wireless communications network, a set of geographically dispersed access nodes (e.g., base stations) provide wireless access to a communications infrastructure for a plurality of end nodes (e.g., wireless terminals). Cellular network systems have traditionally been primarily based on circuit-switch technology, but a variety of emerging cellular network systems are more heavily based on packet-switched technology (e.g., the Internet Protocol (IP) suite). In such networks, flexible QoS differentiation mechanisms are needed to effectively support a variety of different applications (e.g., telephony, text messaging, streaming audio/video, web browsing, file transfer, . . . ). QoS mechanisms designed primarily for use in fixed, hard-wired, packet-switched network infrastructures are not well suited for use in a cellular network. In particular, aspects such as mobility of subscriber access devices, the potentially constrained nature of a wireless access link, and differences in network architecture impede or preclude use of existing resource control protocols in wireless packet-switched networks.
In connection with requesting QoS support with respect to a particular subscriber, conventional networks utilize a centralized entity or a subscriber with respect to such requests. For instance, if a subscriber needs certain QoS support, such subscriber requests such support from a provider of QoS support. These conventional methods for requesting and receiving QoS support are inflexible and inefficient.